


I'm Not Afraid When I'm With You

by Mod Piss Ninja (Ninjaghoes)



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: M/M, People who don't ship it can also read, This is mainly wholesome fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 05:39:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12977226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninjaghoes/pseuds/Mod%20Piss%20Ninja
Summary: One week after the fall of the Overlord and the return of his father, Lloyd is plagued by nightmares each night. He finds himself before his father's door after another night of fitful sleep, and it seems that he is not the only one who is unable to rest.





	I'm Not Afraid When I'm With You

     His feet shifted where he stood, the hall blanketed with darkness. All was quiet but his own heartbeat and the faint scuffling from the room just beyond the sliding shōji door. He should leave, he hadn’t expected anyone to actually be awake. But his fists remained at his sides, unmoving, and he could see the faint candlelight that illuminated through the paper screen. It seemed as though it should beckon him from the blackened hall, but it only frightened him further. He stayed uneasy and hesitant for stretching minutes before the silhouette on the other side noticed him. The silhouette stopped and then approached, its shape growing as it neared the door.

     “Lloyd?” Garmadon pulled open the door, his brows furrowed. The frame creaked as it slid. Lloyd jumped at the noise with a start, his whole body jittery as if he hadn’t expected to see his father.

     “I- Father, I-” Lloyd tried, biting his tongue at the stutter. Garmadon placed a hand over his son’s shoulder, eyeing him with worry.

     “Come, my son. You’re pale.” He stepped from the doorway and motioned to follow. Lloyd slid the door shut with pursed lips, unsure. What was he even doing? 

     The interior was plain, for there wasn’t much time from the fall of the Overlord to have settled in yet. It was far too late to be awake, but Garmadon seemed to suffer a similar ailment. The two measly candles by the bed illuminated his exhaustion. 

     “Why are you still awake, Father?” Lloyd shifted, almost uncomfortable. It was the gnawing unease of what happens next and what ifs that rooted him to the spot, hands folded. 

     “I have been sleepless as of late, my son. I was about to practise meditation to perhaps alleviate my restlessness.” Garmadon padded over to the single mat on the floor, guiding himself down carefully with crossed legs. “Care to join me?” He patted the small mat space next to him. Lloyd blinked, pausing for a moment. 

     “Oh, uh, of course.” He crossed the room and settled next to his father, their knees brushing. He looked to his father, hands folded in his lap patiently. 

     “Now Lloyd, you have asked why I am awake, but why are you?” Garmadon kept his gaze forward, rolling his shoulders to settle his joints. Lloyd looked down, his hands tightening. 

     “I, uh, I had another…” He cleared his throat. “Another nightmare. About the Overlord.” He cursed his embarrassment; he was the golden ninja now, he shouldn’t have any fears. Lloyd could feel his father’s eyes on him as his cheeks flushed, and he was thankful for the poor lighting. Garmadon remained silent for a moment.

     “Close your eyes.” He ordered, his tone gentle. Lloyd looked up, training his gaze on his father. 

     “What?” 

     “The meditation--it will help. I too have suffered sleepless nights brought on by the vision of my past.” Garmadon’s own eyes closed, and Lloyd stared at him. 

      “You’ve been having nightmares?” 

     “Yes, I have. There is no shame in it. Now, eyes closed. Relax your muscles and focus on your breathing.” Garmadon instructed, a small smile playing at his lips. 

     “Right, meditation.” Lloyd directed his attention forward again on the bedspread and candles, letting his eyelids slip shut. With a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders back as he’d seen his father do. The former super-villain Lord Garmadon couldn’t sleep from nightmares too? It seemed almost funny to him, but more than that he was relieved that he wasn’t alone. He was relieved to be with his father again.

     Eventually, the overwhelming stillness of the room with only their breathing to break the silence grew almost frustrating. Lloyd blinked, his eyes sleepy from how long they sat there. His father seemed as though were asleep right where he sat, his body a statue and his breathing completely even. He stared at him, mesmerized. This was his former mortal enemy, the very being that shaped his entire childhood dreams and garnered his devotion for so long. Now, he just seemed tired. Lloyd didn’t love him any less than he did when he was younger, though. 

     “Lloyd?” Garmadon spoke suddenly, a smile breaking through the stone. Lloyd nearly jumped.

     “Uh, yeah Dad?” 

     “How long will you stare at me rather than relaxing?” Garmadon chuckled, finally opening his own eyes. 

     “Oh, I, uh. Sorry Dad, I’ll get back to it.” Lloyd sputtered, pressing his hands together to prove he could meditate even harder than before. Garmadon only laughed, placing an arm around his son’s shoulders. 

     “It’s fine if you don’t like the meditation, my son.” He stifled the remaining chuckles. “Come, perhaps there is something else.” He stood and offered a hand out to Lloyd.

     “Something else?” Lloyd asked as he stood, squinting to see through the darkness as the candles burned lower. 

     “To help you sleep. I have an idea.” Garmadon made for the door. “I’ll be right back, I must get something from my brother. Stay here, I won’t be long.” He slid the door open and was gone, his feet quietly padding down the hall. Lloyd raised a brow and remained looking at the door for a moment before turning. What did he have to grab? No matter, it gave him time to see his father’s room without him in it. 

     But there wasn’t much to see, as it had only just been converted from the guest room the week prior. It was sparsely decorated and furnished and seemed rather unwelcoming without his father. Lloyd wandered the room, quickly boring himself with repetitive steps. He settled himself onto the twin mattress, as there was no other furniture to speak of. The sheets and comforter seemed pristine, as if they had never been used. They had, he knew, because they smelled strongly of his father. He laid back over the covers, breathing in as he stared at the ceiling. 

     The door opened and then slid shut again as quiet as it was able.

     “Care to make room? It’s a tight fit but I’m sure we can make it work.” Garmadon asked jokingly as he walked to the bed, something tucked under his arm. 

     “I can’t promise you I won’t kick you off by accident, it’s pretty small.” Lloyd looked up his father with a smile. Garmadon laughed. 

     “I’ll take my chances.” He sat down, keeping the thing under his arm secure.

     “What did you have to get from Sensei?” Lloyd’s fixed his gaze on the object as his father revealed it, propping himself up on his elbows. A book?

     “I figured that because I was unable to do it when you were younger, I could read to you now. I know you are older, but perhaps if the meditation will not help you relax, then…” Garmadon trailed, turning the book over in his hands. 

     “I would love it if you read to me, Dad.” Lloyd placed a hand over his father’s for a moment, before scooting to the far end of the bed. “Well?”

     “Well what?” Garmadon looked over. Lloyd gestured to the room he made, it seemed sizable enough for his father to comfortably settle. He raised a brow at Garmadon’s apparent hesitance. 

     “Are you going to lay down or what?” Lloyd asked. Garmadon blinked in surprise. 

     “Oh, yes, of course.” He set the book on the bedside table before shifting down, the both of them maneuvering to lay comfortably on the small mattress. Surprisingly, it wasn’t so tight once Lloyd nestled into the crook of his father’s arm, one arm almost awkwardly slung over Garmadon’s stomach. 

     “Are you sure you don’t mind this? Are you uncomfortable?” Garmadon asked, glancing down at his son. Lloyd cleared his throat, shaking his head. Their proximity made him dizzy. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. 

     “N-no, this is okay.” He murmured, settling in deeper despite the nerves forming in his stomach. He brushed them aside. “What book did you get?” 

     “It’s a classic from my childhood; ‘Never Trust a Snake.’ I think its message relates to the both of us fairly well. I’m surprised my brother still had a copy.” Garmadon chuckled, holding the book with one hand, the other tucked underneath his son. 

     “Oh, I remember that one. I think Sensei read that one to me when I first got here.” Lloyd nodded. 

     “If that’s the case, I can go find a different one if you’d like. It might be difficult to replicate this position, though.” Garmadon suggested with a chuckle, moving to sit up. 

     “No, I want to hear you read it.” Lloyd shook his head, keeping his father from moving. Garmadon’s eyes softened. 

     “Well... then I will read it to you.” He relaxed against the pillows and grabbed the book, turning the cover open with his thumb. It was dim, but the candle at the bedside table was just bright enough to make out the words and images. Garmadon cleared his throat.

     “Once, there was a rabbit named Jack. He was friendly to all in the neighborhood and let everyone eat the vegetables from his garden when they asked nicely enough. One day, after giving away his carrots, his peas, his lettuce, his squash, he had hardly a thing left for himself. As the sun set and Jack the rabbit prepared a meager meal for himself with what was left of his garden, there was a knock at his door. “Oh, what visitor would come at this hour?” Said Jack…” Garmadon read from the book, keeping it propped in one hand and turning the pages with his thumb. As he read, Lloyd nestled himself into his father’s chest, their legs partially entangled. He allowed his eyes to slip shut, breathing in deeply as he was lulled by the comfort of his father’s voice. Before long, he was finally asleep. 

     “...and that is why Jack the Rabbit never trusts a snake. The end.” Garmadon finished the final lines, despite his son’s light snoring. It didn’t seem right not to finish, and when he did he set the book aside and blew out the weak remaining candle. 

     “Goodnight, Lloyd.” He murmured, pressing a gentle kiss into his son’s hair. Sleep was hard to find as of late, the images of his corrupted self haunting his mind each night. That night would have been no different, but the warm body curled at his side kept the visions at bay. Lloyd, his son, was the only person that mattered. Garmadon wrapped his arms around him, relaxing into the embrace with a deep sigh. Soon, he too was asleep, the both of them only dreaming of each other in restful sleep for the first time in what seemed to be ages.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this to kind of test out these characters and their relationship, but I hope you enjoyed it! Feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> ~Mod Piss Ninja


End file.
